"The head of America's oldest gun maker, Smith & Wesson, has resigned after a local newspaper exposed his past as a convicted armed robber. It emerged that James Joseph Minder, 74, appointed as chairman just a month ago, spent more than a decade in prison in the 1950s and 1960s and had even attempted a jailbreak. As a convicted felon, he is not allowed to carry a firearm. Mr Minder's convictions came to light in the Arizona Republic newspaper. According to the report, he used a sawn-off shotgun to commit eight hold-ups wearing a trademark hat, white scarf and trench coat. The robberies were at a bank, several drugstores, and a jewellery shop in the Detroit area. He was not very successful, and was arrested several times, as well as serving time for his attempted escape from prison."